Even Gods Must Eventually Fall
by Schermionie
Summary: /Slightly AU/ In her final moments, Rem contemplates the not-quite-differences between Shinigami and humans, and the inevitability of death. Rem-centric.


**Disclaimer:**_ Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Oba and Takeshi Obata. _

**Summary:** _[Slightly AU] In her final moments, Rem contemplates the not-quite-differences between Shinigami and humans, and the inevitability of death._

**Spoilers for:** _the anime, because I haven't read all the manga yet. L's real name is also here, just thought I should say.  
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**A/N:** _I'm really not sure if this is any good or not, and it's my first try at writing Death Note fics; I am not as familiar with the fandom as I should like. (Blah blah cliché rambling). It has been done before, I'm sure, though I have never read such a fic. Which is why I have written it. Plus, I just love Rem, and sincerely hope her portrayal isn't too far off the mark, and that the tone of this story matches the tone of the series itself._ _Ta for reading!_  
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Death held no real fascination for Rem. When she stole the lives of humans, it was a mechanical action, a routine established over the long years of her afterlife.

For from the moment it was born, a Shinigami knew that it existed for, because of and in spite of death. Shinigami were surrounded by it, from the barren lands of their world to the Death Notes they carried with them always, most not willing to violate the laws of the Realm of Death.

Humans were different. They struggled against it, this inevitable end of everything they lived for.

But though their attitudes on the matter were discordant, death was the only thing that Shinigami and humans had in common. Once it came down to it, a Shinigami would kill to survive - something most humans would do, when faced with such a choice. Out of fear, and nothing else.

This Rem had believed before she saw Gelus staring wistfully at the human realm, there to witness her love's final day of existence. This Rem had believed until she had known Amane Misa, before she began to _care_.

And now she was about to do the same thing Gelus had, kill to protect a mere human, to sacrifice herself for someone whom she could just as easily kill.

It was due to that which she had thought was an entirely human emotion, but what turned out to be another thing they shared. Love. In the end, Rem supposed, the two things were often intertwined.

Sadly, Rem was one of the few Shinigami who had ever understood this. There would be others, but for now the truth would die with her.

This knowledge would not stay her hand, however.

As her pen travelled over a blank page in her Death Note, leaving ink behind almost as an afterthought, she watched the man widely known as Watari die. He had helped many people, and it was before his time - something that would usually add to her lifespan. Ironically, in this case it would do just the opposite.

The old man's last action was to alert the task force, to tell them that something was wrong. No matter. It was too late. Rem had already put pen to paper, and while she was not as skilled at written language as some Shinigami, there was nothing that could stop her now. The great detective's last few seconds would be full of worry, and, of course, fear. And perhaps a final confirmation of what he had long suspected: Yagami Light was Kira.

But before Rem could finish her frantic scribbling _(she. would. not. fear. now._), the man she wished to kill fell to the floor, wide-eyed and clutching his heart. There was no doubt in that room that there could be only one cause of their leader's collapse. Kira had finally beaten them.

Yet Rem knew that it was not so, that it was death itself that had beaten them. She did not need to look at the camera screen to see the gleam of triumph in Yagami Light's eyes. She knew that his adversary would also notice it and the full depths of this betrayal.

Yet Rem knew this was not so, for she did not act on Kira's orders. One who did not know love was of no interest to her.

The Shinigami had, however, been mildly curious as to why Lawliet would finally die. Today she had realised it would actually be due to the work of a Shinigami - but she had been wrong.

As Rem felt her body start to disintegrate, she knew this was another truth that would go down with her. And that was fine. Lawliet had died because of his own choices: the sheer amount of sugar he consumed every day had taken its toll on his body. His heart had finally given up, even if he had not. But such was the way of things. It was not the ones who had wanted to kill him that got their wish; no one had. The world's genius detective's demise was the result of his own choices; and that was at least what such a man would have wanted.

Rem smiled bitterly as her flesh started to crumble. She was a God of Death, but even Gods must eventually fall.

And the very last thing that Shinigami and humans shared, she knew now, was their inexorable fate.

Nothingness.


End file.
